This invention relates to drugs which are to be orally administered for treating AIDS patients and in particular to such drugs of which the effective components are water-soluble mixed components contained in cultured mycelia or a culture filtrate solution of Himematsutake (Agaricus blazei) which is a kind of mushroom belonging to the genus of Haratake (Agaricus).
It has been reported that water-soluble components contained in fruiting bodies of mushrooms have pharmacological actions. Regarding the fruiting bodies of Himematsutake, it has been reported that water-soluble acidic polysaccharides, neutral polysaccharides and protein-bound polysaccharides contained therein have an anti-tumor activity (Japanese Patent Publications Tokkai 1-67194, 1-67195 and 2-78630) and that water-soluble mixed components contained therein have the effects of ameliorating hepatic functions, as well as an anti-tumor action (Japanese Patent Publications Tokkai 2-124829, 6-128164 and 7-258107). There has been no report, however, that water-soluble mixed components contained in cultured mycelia or a culture filtrate solution of Himematsutake has any effect of ameliorating AIDS symptoms.